The year's delay would give him time to evaluate how McLaren's new relationship with Honda is working, and save McLaren from paying his gigantic salary – he is on £17million at Ferrari – during Honda's first season, when the emphasis will be on development rather than winning the world championship.

But is the notion of Hamilton returning to McLaren pure fantasy? There would certainly be a space available to accommodate him (or indeed Alonso or Vettel), with either Kevin Magnussen or Jenson Button making way.

Magnussen has not yet had long enough to prove he is a driver of the very top rank, while there is an acceptance among the team's hierarchy that Button is a tenth or two shy of the best.

There are two possible reasons I can think of why Hamilton would want to return. The first is that Honda-powered McLaren have title-winning form.

The second hinges on how this season works out at Mercedes. If Hamilton were to lose the title to Rosberg, imagine the trauma that would accompany that outcome.

It is easy to imagine he would feel increasingly unloved, prompting a souring in his relationship with the team. Suddenly, he would not be able to get out of the place fast enough.

In demand: McLaren are courting Fernando Alonso's services - the Spaniard is in his fifth season at Ferrari

'Lewis was faster, but Nico worked harder'

An interesting interview appeared in Germany's Bild newspaper the other day. They managed to speak to Dino Chiesa, the prominent karting manager, who was team boss of Hamilton and Rosberg at MBM – Mercedes-Benz McLaren – in 2000 and 2001.

What he perceived in them then is a variant of the Jesuit line: give me a child of seven and I shall show you the man.

'Lewis was faster,' he said. 'Nico has always worked harder, done all the dirty work on the set-up, working with the mechanics and engineers. Lewis has never worked behind the scenes as hard as Nico.'

He elaborated on the theme, saying: 'Lewis has lived for a time up in the stars. His management are not very helpful in this regard. They may be good for a Hollywood star, but not for a Formula One driver. These people give him the feeling of being a superstar. But a motorsport race is not a show. This is hard work, and you have to concentrate.'

As for Hamilton's mindset, Chiesa said: 'Nothing is ever his fault. He always thinks others want to harm him.

'You have to understand Lewis' position. He is in a German team with a German driver who has also worked three years with the people there. It might feel to Lewis that the team is a bit friendlier to Nico because they have known him for so long. It is normal. That means more stress for Lewis because he never feels like a solid family member.'

Why is Bernie opposed to social media?

Fax machines are still in vogue at Bernie Ecclestone's Kensington offices. Emails are for the staff, not the boss.

So it was not surprising to read his reaction to the notion that Formula One should embrace new media to offset the decline in TV audiences.

'It matters obviously, but when you say it is falling, it is changing,' he said. 'But I think the change that place will be very short-lived, as these social media people are starting to think it is not as good as they thought.'

Writing is on the wall: There is an opportunity for Ecclestone, and F1, to generate money from social media

Asked by Autosport whether he believed F1 should change tack, he replied: 'No. We're commercial. If they find people to pay us then I'll be happy.'

The advocates of social media say, probably rightly, that young people's viewing habits are radically different from the older generations.

Children have smart phones and can watch short clips of action that would potentially attract them to the sport. That could then encourage them to watch it on TV.

There is also an opportunity for Ecclestone, and Formula One, to generate money directly from social media.

Other sports, notably in America, have struck lucrative deals for websites to show clips of action. What is so unattractive to Bernie about that?